A Maiden's Memory
by jisusa-chan
Summary: Even if he knew that it was inevitable, even if he knew that it could never be changed, it still happened. Too bad, a lot has happened after those years. Too bad, he never got to tell her something. Too bad...  NejixOC
1. Chapter 1

In this world, people could never count how many legends existed from the past until now. Many are told from generation to generation. Many are heard from country to country. Few ignored, but mostly changed although they still retained the whole concept. Many believed in them in the past. But as time elapsed, people discovered and realized that they were only created for their moral lessons.

But among all legends and myths, one has been rarely told and mostly unheard. It has been made, told and heard first for more than a thousand years ago. Presently, one can count with just his fingers how many have heard and believed this. Well, one can't blame that. Because, when you hear of this legend, you'd think of it as more of a nonsense compared to the other myths out there…

...

_Perfection exists to no one. As everyone says, "Nobody's perfect". Yet, beyond their knowledge, more than a thousand years ago, a being was created that possessed the flawlessness that was impossible to obtain and be obtained. The creature was unexpectedly human, or better yet, a __**woman**__. These creatures are believed to be created by God himself, obviously making them the most perfect life form in the universe. And considering the creator, this perfect human girl possesses not only excellence but all mortal and immortal powers that existed and are yet to be made. Few of these are time-traveling, flight, future visions, world-traveling, and control of different elements._

_But despite their physical perfection and other brilliances, there is a limit to their existence. There is a certain age in their lives that they call the "Curse". The "Curse" is actually the day that they purposely die yet with no cause. It is the day that they give their lives to the Heavens and to be replaced by a new "perfect being". At the strike of midnight, these creatures disappear and fade their existence from the universe, leaving no trace of evidence. It is also said that telling this to people they have interacted with is the greatest sin they'll commit against the Heavens. If one refuses her death, millions of people, or possibly the whole planet she exists in, will replace her life._

_Therefore concluding these informations, these creatures are called "Heavenly Maidens of the Universe" or simply "Maidens". The proof of their existence is their perfect physical appearances and of course, their bracelets. Their bracelets aren't as ordinary as other accessories, because these bracelets cannot be bought anywhere, but they are attached and linked to their right wrists even when they are still inside their mother's womb. It cannot be removed by anyone except the Maiden herself or three persons (excluding the Maiden) that has her blood. And yes, Maidens are human beings. Despite their feature as a "Heavenly being", they are still human and are only chosen by God before existence. Note that when this sacred bracelet is removed, all of the Maiden's memories will fade and disappear._

_Truly, these creatures are perfect and can never be compared to anything. They are heavenly beings and still, a "curse" limits their perfect mortality. They're simple human beings and one can never tell if a girl he passes by is already the most powerful mortal in the whole universe. But only those who know the bracelet can tell, although considering the number of people knowing of this myth, it's still impossible for one to know. There is nothing to be cautious about their existence, because the universe itself clings to the life and soul of these Maidens. In other terms, a Maiden's life is equivalent to the whole universe._

_...  
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He closed the old book as he finished reading a small part of one certain page. It wasn't surprising to see him in a library, considering he was one of the greatest geniuses in his village. But if he was to be seen to be reading this certain book, even his closest teammates would wonder why. But he wasn't there to study; he was there to do a favor—a (repeated) favor from a very _dear_ friend. In fact, from reading that small section from the Book of Legends, he tried to suppress his bursting emotions. He wanted to cry. But he couldn't. He _shouldn't_. He considered it stupid to show any emotions, as it was said in the Ninja Principles. But he just couldn't stop his tears. If it was about _her_, he just can't.

No one truly knew what he felt for this certain peach-haired girl. But his teammates knew that she was the one who changed him. Up until now, he couldn't take her face out of his mind. He didn't really consider the possibility that he'd fallen for her. But what he knows, and what his teammates know, is that he cared for her. He wanted to protect her. He did love her, and still does, but only as a best friend and a sister, but more than his life and anything in this world. He wanted to be with her and by her side until the end. But he never expected that _"the end"_ would come sooner than he thought. And he never thought that it would be _permanent_.

He'd even recall those days—_especially that perfectly bittersweet day_—everyday like it was yesterday…

...

...

...

It was yet another sunny day in Konoha as he walked across the never-ending streets. But he wasn't walking leisurely like any other day. He was going to a large meadow that was barely covered by flowers. Yet it was still perfect to be there. It was once his favorite place. He regards it as his little heaven, considering its peace and tranquility. He actually missed coming there, since he was busy with missions these past few years. But since the mission was so easy—which made him a bit confused—he still had half of the day to himself. He wanted to train with his teammates, but something made him decline. Not like it was strange, but it wasn't his usual "no".

And as he sat on his favorite spot, he almost forgot how perfect the scenery was out there. And nothing made it better but the soft breeze that blew through his skin. Oh, how it made him reminisce the good old days when he had the grass field all to himself. Well, there weren't many kids that played in the meadow. He was actually alone when he found the place. His teammates never knew that he went there. No one ever did know that he went there by himself. But because of an unknown fate, he met an event that he actually considered as his first coincidence. He never actually believed in coincidences. But why did he even think that _she_ was only a coincidence?

"Wow. Never thought you'd be here…" a soft and angelic voice disturbed the breezy silence.

"Really now?" he smirked. He knew that voice anywhere. "Why would you think that?"

The voice laughed. "Well, considering how busy you've been," her presence came closer to him, who was actually waiting for her to sit beside her. "…it's kinda hard to believe that you still have time to come here, Neji-san."

"Hn. Yeah, right. Hard to believe…" Neji continued to smirk, gluing his eyes on her usual smile that was surely aimed at his sarcasm. "What about you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. The mission was pretty easy, lemon squeezy!" the beaming kunoichi laughed.

"Lemon what?" the Hyuuga prodigy raised an eyebrow. He'd already heard that rhyme. But it was rare he'd hear those kind of words from someone like her.

"I just learned that this morning from Mimi-chan. It was pretty hilarious when I first heard that!" she continued to giggle, recalling her teammate.

Neji smirked more. "Really, you're just too naïve, Natsuki." He shook his head in amusement. "A ninja shouldn't be innocent, you know."

"Hey! I am not _that_ stupid." Natsuki jokingly punched the Byakugan user in the arm.

"I never even said you were." He murmured, chuckling softly.

Neji never laughed nor did he chuckle long enough to show any emotions. But it was only this idiotic girl that made him feel different. Never did he allow anyone to hear his laughs except for Natsuki. She made him feel like he already had everything he ever wanted, including _her_. But it wasn't only those feelings that made him want to stay with her. It was the way she felt with _and_ for him. Neji didn't believe anyone that told him that they understood what he went through. Everyone told him the same thing—that they had the same experience as he did. But apart from everyone else, she made him feel like she was really telling him the truth. He felt like she was honest in her words, saying that she understood him.

After a few soft laughs, as usual, Natsuki would lie down on the grass, the little flowers embracing the pony-tailed girl. Neji would just keep his eyes on her. He then joined her by settling his weight on the warm pasture. But nothing was warmer than her company. Weird though, Neji thought, that she was there beside him, _near_ him, after all the years they've been together and apart like nothing _ever_ happened in the past. And with those thoughts that crossed his mind, it made him remember once more the things that made him think that her weirdness and bizarre personality would make him want to stay beside her forever, making him _want_ to protect her.

Natsuki Mamoru was a very weird person for Neji Hyuuga. But her strange personality was what made him _like_ her. They actually met on the same place they were in. As Neji was about to think he discovered the secret meadow by himself, he encountered her warm presence running in the wide fields. She still had her peach-colored hair in a short length that ended to her shoulders, yet it was complemented by her orange headband. They were still in the Academy those times, which makes them friends for a very long time today. Even though she knew that Neji was too serious to be pleased of meeting her, she still stayed with him. Even though she felt like he pushed her away, she still persuaded to be with him. Even though he wanted her to stop and give up, she still didn't. And then just one day, he spoke to her and asked her what her problem was. She just laughed and told him the truth—that she wanted them to be friends. And when he realized, he was slowly smiling from listening to her. Although he never asked, he could only guess that they were already friends starting that day.

And ever since that day, they'd coincidentally meet at an unusual time and talk shortly. They never had long conversations, knowing that they were in different classrooms. But to use the vacant time, they'd lie on the grass and listen at the soothing wind. Most of the time, they'd fall asleep beside each other. Natsuki would wake up first, and then she'd secretly smile at his sleeping form, looking like he really needed a rest. And after some time, they graduated at the same day. They congratulated each other, obviously, in the meadow. The next day, unfortunately for Natsuki, they were assigned in different teams. But before they began their hard missions, they had their last unoccupied day together. Then months passed for them not meeting, both of them grew anxious, which was a little weird for Neji. But after a few more days, he suddenly found himself confused, as he discovered something unbelievable from Natsuki's identity.

From Neji's past, he remembered rumors of a person born in his village that was supposed to be the strongest human being in the universe, a child that was born with immeasurable powers and abilities, possible to destroy the whole world. He heard that it was a girl and Konoha prohibited her to live any longer. It made him a bit angry about the Elders making a decision of killing a young child despite its innocence towards the world. But as rightful as it was for the Elders, the Third Hokage still opposed against them and compromised just to save the child's life. Sandaime was to put a seal on the girl's powers and forbid her to release it and use them. He also allowed her to enroll to the Ninja Academy, the same time concealing her identity to the public, hoping to close the issue once and for all.

At one time, when Neji had vacant time like he did today, he found Natsuki in a very weird state. She was _already_ weird, but it wasn't the point. She wasn't smiling that time. It made Neji's soul tremble in anxiety and worry. Her eyes were in a daze, but those light peach-colored eyes were filled with unknown sadness. At some point, Neji couldn't bring himself to even touch or place his hand on her shoulder, afraid that she might fall apart due to her fragile appearance. He was afraid that she might suddenly cry, startling him. But he _had_ to walk over to her. God might think of him as a coward of not being there to comfort a friend. And as he sat beside her, he finally knew the whole truth: she _was_ the powerful child that he heard in his whole childhood days. All this time, all these days, months, probably even years, he had been with the rumored child that was almost killed. But surprisingly, he didn't fear her. He didn't become angry or anything. How could he when his dear friend was in the worst situation he could ever imagine her to be in—_almost the same fate he had_?

Natsuki broke down crying beside him that day, letting all her emotions out because she _trusted_ him. He finally learned the reason of her grief. In a mission, an enemy of theirs pointed at her and revealed to her team that _she_ was the powerful ninja they were ordered to kidnap. And because of that, Natsuki's teammates gave all their strength to protect her, almost to the point that their mentor sacrificed his own life. It was a good thing that no one _did_ sacrifice a life, but they still got badly hurt. The peach-haired girl apologized a million times when the team arrived at Konoha Hospital. Her team assured her that it was alright for them, that she could trust them. But Natsuki couldn't help but feel guilty and responsible for their scars. No matter what her teammates told her, no matter how much assuring words they sent her, she still couldn't take the thought of her being the cause of everything out of her head. And she ended up running in her comforting meadow. But even when she finally got a chance to be alone, it only made it worse. It only made her recall the days of discrimination.

Neji, unsure of what to do to make her stop crying, kept his silence on. He simply watched his childhood friend weep. And he couldn't stand the pain of seeing her that way. Knowing words wouldn't do any good, he slowly, and carefully, wrapped his comforting arms around her curled position. For a moment, Natsuki flinched from his touch, but then, she gave in when she felt warmth and security from his hug. And as soon as she realized, the hands that were in her knees a moment ago were then on his chest, wanting more of his soothing touch. She never thought that Neji, as serious and a bit of a _bastard_ as he was, would give her that kind of protection. And she loved being with him because of it.

As soon as she stopped, Neji slowly pulled away and wiped her tears with his fingers. He still didn't speak, neither did Natsuki. Neji let his arms do the talking, since he wasn't really good at words, though it was actually his first time doing this comforting thing. But it felt right—especially when it was this specific girl he was reassuring. He could still see tear marks on her face, but her pale yet fair face was still perfect. And when her eyes gazed up on his white eyes, Neji suddenly stood and strangely exploded. It made Natsuki jump and a bit afraid. But when she heard his exact words of him telling everybody about this, her eyes widened, making her stand up.

"_Then if it'll make you happy, why don't we tell my team _and_ everyone?" Neji said loudly._

"_Wh-what? Neji-san, what are saying? Didn't you just hear what I just told you? My team got hurt because of _me_!" Natsuki pleaded._

"_Well, didn't _you_ hear what _they_ just said? It wasn't your fault!" He took her hands, helping her to stand._

"_B-but, I…" Natsuki could still feel doubt in his unexpected ideas._

"_But if they'll hate you, then I'll just have to protect you from them." Neji placed his hands on her shoulders, making her look at his honest eyes._

"_Well…" she looked away, still thinking things through. "I _do_ want them to know. I mean, I don't want them to think that I've lied all these years. But, Neji-san, isn't this too sudden, even for them?"_

"_But you told me, didn't you? Did I get angry? Did I push you away? I didn't, right? Because if they're your friends, they'll still accept you. Fate gave you friends that'll accept you for what you are." Neji shook her shoulders, though it didn't hurt her._

"_But, Neji-san—"_

"_Don't you trust me?"_

"_O-of course, I do. But…"_

"_Then trust me. I'll stay with you. I'll protect you. Let me handle it." Then he pulled her frail hands with assurance._

Neji pulled her in a place where Team 14 was. He then called all their friends—Team 7, Team 8, Team 10, even Natsuki's team. All of them waited for Neji's announcement. And when they were all gathered, Natsuki felt that she couldn't stop it anymore; it was now inevitable. But she trusted Neji. She stayed beside him until he finished telling everyone about the truth. After the declaration, a few minutes of silence followed. For a while, the kunoichi thought they'd started scorning and cursing her names for being a liar. But when Naruto Uzumaki stepped towards her and smiled, the other teams beamed as well. At first, she doubted if they were only pretending. But after a few hugs and smiles, Natsuki welling tears were blinked away by a smile of gratitude. And for her first time, she felt accepted. She felt loved. Finally, she knew that Neji was right. Fate _did_ give her friends that would welcome her as what she was, no matter how much power was kept and sealed within her. And she was happy. It was the happiest moment of her entire life.

Time passed as slowly, people accepted her and showed her a warm home. Natsuki's insecurities disappeared and Neji's worries faded with them. They had more laughs and the Byakugan user never found her tears anymore. Everything became so peaceful and just so perfect.

Then came their first Chuunin exams. Neji's team wasn't recommended by his mentor, as he told her. Natsuki told him the same thing about her team, saying that they weren't ready yet. They waited a couple more years, and then the right time came for them to enter. But they both failed to become Chuunins due to the unexpected situations that happened that day. A lot has happened since that day, including the news of a Konoha Shinobi leaving (and betraying) the village—_Uchiha Sasuke_. Natsuki wasn't able to visit Neji in the hospital when they came back from their retrieval mission because of some rules that prohibited visitors such as her. Another few months came more missions, then Naruto left the village (everyone knew about his departure), and then another Chuunin exam. Both of them entered once more, but Neji left her as a new Chuunin. He tried to cheer her up, only to learn that she wasn't really _that_ sad. As fast as the hands of time came, Neji graduated as a Jounin and Natsuki declined to leave her Chuunin level. And they became busier than normal.


	2. Chapter 2

Neji was still lying under his arms that day as he recalled everything all at once. He almost forgot that Natsuki was still beside him that moment. What were they talking about again? Oh yeah, about her being _not_ stupid. Right, he still remembered. He eyed his kunoichi friend, thinking that she might've fallen asleep ahead of him. But she wasn't. She was in a daze. Yet his white eyes twitched for a millisecond as he remembered that daze—those _sad_ dazing eyes. But one can see from her expression that she wasn't sad or anything. In fact, she was still smiling from the small conversation a moment ago. But there was still something wrong; and he knew he was the only one who could see through her face. It wasn't her usual smile like everyday. It was a _heartbreaking_ smile.

But before he could even ask her, she cut him off. "Neji-san." He invisibly jolted, yet she didn't see, when her voice reached his ears.

She wasn't even calling him. She just said his name, with so much _hidden pain_ in its tone. With all his sheer effort to hide his confusion and unease, he answered, "Yeah?"

"Everything…" She turned her daze from nowhere away and their eyes clashed, White met Peach—_Unease met Agony_. "Everything has changed, haven't they?"

"Of course, obviously." Neji broke their gaze and looked at the sky, where the girl beside her was looking at a moment ago. He tried to continue, just to hide his emerging worry. "If you compare years ago, now I'm a Jounin and you're a Chuunin. And when I first met you, you still had a short hair and wore a silly headband."

She managed to laugh a soft one. He felt a bit relieved to hear that. "Yeah, right. A silly headband, huh?" Natsuki chuckled delicately, slowly sitting up.

A few more silent seconds passed as Neji felt the blow of the breeze got a little stronger. He felt that the wind was feeling anxious too. He could it sense the current of air shift, making him feel more uncomfortable. He didn't like the combination of her familiar movements—the daze, her lonely smile, her _toxic silence_. It was the same at that time when he saw her and she suddenly broke down. But she wasn't going to cry, was she? No. She was simply… sad. And Neji _cursed_ the days she was.

"Natsuki…?" he murmured lowly as he sat up, letting his arms brush hers.

"Hey, do you still remember when we sparred for the first time?" she looked at him once more, yet strangely, a glint of a happy memory came to her eyes.

"Well, yeah. Of course, I do." He looked at her, abruptly seeing that sparkle slowly fade from her eyes. Did he just say something wrong? "It was our first _and_ last spar. Why?"

She chuckled again—an _aching_ laugh. "Oh, nothing. I just…"—she looked away—"…remembered something from that day."

"What is it?" he gestured her to continue her growing discussion.

"My words…"—she looked up and closed her eyes—"…after the spar."

"…Oh." It took Neji a while to answer. It's not like he forgot it. But those words she made him recall were _impossible_ to forget, considering the impact it gave to him. "I see…"

"Do you…"—she opened her eyes, still looking at the sky, and eyed him from the corner of her eyes—"…remember?"

He nodded, ever so lightly.

Ah yes—their first spar, their last spar, their _only_ spar. It was a few months before they entered the Chuunin exam years ago. Neji knew of Natsuki's great fighting ability, rarely using genjutsu or ninjutsu even when she was also excellent in both. She told him to attack her with all he got, which he gladly complied. Although Neji's weakness and only _poison_ were her tears, a spar was a different story. He would never admit defeat, or even allow himself to be defeated. They had a rough time, taking the longest hours among all of Neji's spar experiences. But despite Natsuki's amazing and _perfect_ ninja skills, the Byakugan won over her. And after a few minutes of panting…

"_Amazing! Truly, you are unbeatable, Neji-san." Natsuki praised him between breaths._

"_Hn. You too, Natsuki. You too." Neji smirked back. All the while, they both panted heavily._

"_But you know…" after she recovered, she stretched her arms in the air. "…You shouldn't battle a ninja while babbling about stupid Fate."_

_Neji paused. He looked at her with unknown anger. Did she just say that Fate was _stupid_? Was she mocking his words a while ago? "What?" He dug his words deep._

"_Well, I mean"—she turned to face him with her normal expression—"isn't it pretty idiotic for you to talk about fate already deciding that I was destined to lose from you?"_

_Again, Neji felt insulted. He slowly showed her an irritated face. "Do you know what you're saying?" And for the first time, he felt like he wanted to hurt her, though he never wanted to._

_Natsuki blinked twice before continuing. "Yes. I _do_ know what I'm saying." It seemed like she was blind for not seeing the scowl on Neji's face._

"_And I thought you knew what I was going through." He reminded the words she told him—that she knew what he felt, that she knew what his suffering felt, that she knew how cruel Fate was to his life, that she understood him _honestly_—years ago when they first met._

"_I do, Neji-san. It's just that"—she lowered her face and sighed—"it's sorta wrong. You don't actually understand what Fate is… to other people."_

"_No!" The Hyuuga prodigy exploded. "You're the one who doesn't understand. You never do!" He shouted at the empty fields._

_Natsuki only stared at him with blank eyes, somehow making him angrier._

"_You just don't get it, do you? Can't you see? I'm trapped in a blasted cage, Natsuki, all because Fate has already chosen my destiny! And there's nothing I can do but continue on living this wretched life with this loathsome curse"—He thought he saw Natsuki flinch for a second—"on my forehead. Fate has decided upon us. And I'm imprisoned in my destiny's cage with a lock that's _beyond _impossible to have a key!"_

_He realized that he was panting again, from all of the frustration he erupted. But what he saw on Natsuki's face was nothing—it was still the same expressionless face. It made him boil up once more._

"_DON'T YOU GET IT, NATSUKI? I'M LOCKED UP IN CRUEL FATE—!" he shouted at the top of his lungs._

"_And you think that I don't understand you?" she asked a millisecond after his._

"_Eh?" Neji blinked._

_The kunoichi's expressionless face suddenly turned away and Neji felt ashamed of his words. He actually _shouted_ at her—the only person who understood him. He felt guilty for that. Great, he cursed at his thoughts, he messed up. He felt her aura changed from nothing to so much sadness. God knows he must apologize right then. But when he was about to speak up, she uttered unexpected words._

"_You really shouldn't think that way." she murmured to the wind, but enough for him to hear the same guilt._

_Guilt? Why was _she_ the guilty one? Neji got confused now._

_As her back was faced to him, the wind started to blow cool wind against their sweat. Her head shifted a little, enough for Neji to see her mouth and nose. And then, she smiled. But he still didn't see her eyes, which were covered by her bangs. He was taken aback with the beam she showed him. It was confusing enough to make him forget all the intelligence he had._

_And she suddenly spoke, "You shouldn't think that way, Neji-san. Besides…"_

_It was lower than before, but he could still hear her. And with her last words, Neji thought time stopped._

"…_you're not the only one who's locked in a cage."_

_And then, Natsuki walked away and left Neji alone in the meadow. The next few months, they never met until the Chuunin exams…_

The silence made the moment a bit eerie. Neji waited for Natsuki to continue on what she wanted to tell—if ever she _did_ have something to say. He looked at her face, searching for anything else. But he couldn't find any. He only found the cause of his uneasiness. The wind blew hard for a moment, shifting Natsuki's bangs over her eyes. And then, she took a deep breath.

"Do you know"—she tilted her head down, breaking her focus from the sky—"what I meant back then, Neji-san?" She looked at him, who was looking at her.

Their eyes clashed once more. And at that moment, Neji saw more of her anxiety. "N…" He broke away from the sweet poison of her eyes "…no."

When he tried to look from his eye's corner, he saw her beam the saddest smile she had ever made. It made him want to kill himself.

"Then," She softly spoke, "will you listen to everything I'll say… Neji-san?" her eyes looked like they pleaded him to stay, as if it looked like he was about to run away.

It took 3 whole painful seconds for Neji to respond a "yes". He didn't know why. All he wanted was this suffering to end, for her smile to come back. But there were two forces in his body ordering him to do different opposite tasks. His mind, his stupidly Fate-filled and too-intelligent mind, ordered him to stand and walk away, telling him to hurt her rather than kill himself from her next sentences. His heart, his rarely-heard, always-confused, broken-and-wrenched, yet glued-by-another-heart heart, chose to stay and stick to her painful yet lovely words of thorn. Both opposed against each other. His mind said he'd get hurt. His heart said she'd get hurt _more_. And the word "hurt" was enough. To add the word "more" would make it impossible for him to even survive.

So he obeyed his heart.

"Of course." He firmly answered her, readying himself of whatever deadly shot would make him suffer than he already did from his Fate. "I'll listen." He took her hand with both his. "I'll stay."

Natsuki had to smile at her friend's courage. But she looked away and stared at his hands on hers that were on her lap. She never wanted to tell anyone about this, what more if it had to be her _best_ friend? But she didn't want _it_ to happen without anyone knowing. She'd be more than _dead_ if no one knew. And since Neji _almost_ knew everything about her, it's only his right to know this better than anyone else.

She took another deep breath. Here it comes, she told herself.

"The reason why I understood you, Neji-san, is because…" She swallowed. "…I too have a _curse_."

He was still silent. He still couldn't understand, and Natsuki could evidently see it.

"It's not like the curse on your forehead, Neji-san. It's much more different than that. It's like… The curse—_my_ curse—is more, umm… _severe_ than yours." Her eyes blinked as her mind traveled into its deepest depths just to find a definite description of her so-called _indescribable _"curse".

"What… do you mean?" Neji still couldn't register in his head what the kunoichi in front of her was talking about. "Are you implying that… compared to mine, it's… _worse?_"

"The _worst_… among everything and anything you could ever imagine." She still refused to look at him, afraid that he might see more than sadness in her eyes—_fear_.

"W… worst?" he repeated.

She nodded.

"Natsuki, I still don't understand. What do you mean by 'worst'?" Neji's hold on her hands grew tighter.

The peach-haired girl could feel his trembles from his fingers wrapped around her hand. He felt a sense of terror, as little by little each of her previous words sunk into his mind, trying to understand each syllable. Worst? Was there something worse than a Hyuuga branch family member's destiny? He couldn't take it. He wanted to understand. But as much as he wanted to, he couldn't. He had to wait for more explanations, even if it meant for more pain. Maybe, he thought, this was the pain both his mind and heart were warning him of. And God knows how _unbearable_ the ache was making him feel.

Natsuki tried to look at the corner of her eyes to see her confused yet trembling friend. She could identify so much in his white eyes. And because of that, her mind had second thoughts if she still needed to continue. If this was only the beginning of her confession about herself, what more if she had to blurt out everything until the end?

"Neji-san…" Natsuki broke Neji's thoughts. She looked at him, smiling.

"What is it?" Neji was still waiting for her to continue. Though, confusion came more as he saw her smiling at him like there was nothing to be afraid of about her words.

She smiled more, wanting to set aside the shocking words first. "Calm down, Neji-san."—she placed her other hand on top of his trembling hands—"Don't worry too much."

Neji finally recovered and realized that his own hands were obviously shaking on top of hers. He sighed deeply, finally forgetting the bursting emotions a while ago. "S-sorry."

"Alright." Natsuki shifted her position as Neji pulled his hands back. "I'll just make it easy for you to understand, okay?"

"Okay."

"I'll just start with a silly introduction, like you did when you told me yours. How's that sound?" She looked at him with a smile.

"I guess, it's alright." Neji looked down, thinking thoroughly—his usual _genius_ way of thinking.

"I just don't want to shock you with my straightforward words…" She chuckled, remembering her rare attitude.

Neji nodded, finally eyeing her.

Natsuki pulled her gaze back. She took her knees and brought them up to her chest, wrapping them with her frail arms. It was the first time Neji saw her in that kind of position. She must be serious, he thought. But her smile retained, calming him. It was better to see her genuine smile than the sad one before. Even without words, it made the Byakugan user shudder. Then, he saw her close her eyes. She must've sensed the wind, since it came right after she closed peach orbs. It blew so soft, so nicely, he'd completely forgotten his trembling worries a moment ago. Truly, this was a comforting meadow.

"So…" Natsuki broke the short silence.

Neji only looked at her. Everything about her was perfect, he thought. Well, she _did_ tell him about her "secret powers". There's nothing new now.

The peach girl reminisced the time when he told her about his curse as she closed her eyes, saying that he was caged by it, locked by Fate and his own destiny. _I guess I'll start with that…_

"_You're not the only one who's locked in a cage._" She repeated her words from years ago. Neji heard it loud and clear.


	3. Chapter 3

It's true that Neji never forgot those exact words. But it was also true that he had been puzzled with the meaning of them. It made him more baffled and needy of the answer when they never met the next day. He saw Natsuki when the Chuunin exams came. But it's pretty obvious he didn't have the time to ask her when he had to concentrate on battling and surviving the damn test. Nevertheless, if he _did_ have time to be answered, he wouldn't miss the second he was offered to know.

And there he was, waiting for the answer after he was finally offered to know. Unexpectedly yet predictable, the offer was from Natsuki—the person who said those exact _confusing_ words.

"Your cage… is your destiny, correct?" She started her so-called "introduction". "Well, it's the same is mine too."

The Hyuuga prodigy nodded with hesitation again.

"And just like you, my existence is the whole curse." She closed her eyes and opened them once more as she tried to think through her next words. "I never lied to you when I told you _that_, Neji-san. I never did."

They both remembered that day when Natsuki told him that she completely understood his situation. And Neji believed her more when she confessed of her true identity—the powerful child. He'd already heard of everything about her existence. She showed her the seal Sandaime made and placed on her bracelet, as he was told that it was the source of her powers. He asked permission to talk to the Third Hokage about her. Fortunately, Sarutobi was allowed to give him the information about her. But he also told the Hyuuga prodigy that it was better to believe the real person, which was Natsuki. And he did. All his life he did. And never did he regret in believing her.

She then turned to look at him, seeing that he was serious as ever. "Hey, imagine this, will you?"

"What is it?" Neji blinked as her emotions slightly changed.

"Imagine that… you're inside a cage. You sit in the middle of it and you can see the giant lock clearly." Her hands rose in front of her, as if she was really holding a small cage.

Neji tried not to flinch with the lack of her seriousness about what she was uttering. But as soon as he realized, he was wrong.

"And then," her voice softened, her eyes slowly being filled with sadness. "…you try to reach for the lock. You place your hand on the steel texture of it, wondering of how you can get to open it and taste eternal freedom…"

"But no matter how much you think of it," Neji blurted out, as if he knew what was next. "…you stop and finally realize that you can never be freed, that you can never taste that eternal freedom you've been dreaming of."

"…Yeah." Natsuki smiled sadly.

"Natsuki, I don't have to imagine it." He gave her a scowl, yet it had a hint of sorrow. "Because I'm already in it."

"Then, imagine there's another cage beside yours, and an angel was inside." she faced him and flashed another lonely beam.

"An angel?" he rose an eyebrow.

"Yeah, an angel. A smiling angel." She turned back to look at the sight the meadow gave them.

And how could an angel smile despite being caged? This was what Neji could only ask himself at that moment. But as he tried to imagine it, he saw not an angel but Natsuki—_his_ angel, inside a cage. And before he knew it, he saw her cage bigger than his. The lock was smaller, as if no key could fit in it. It made him tremble faintly. But she didn't. She was smiling at him, as if to calm him down. His eyes widened, as he realized that her wings were bleeding. He felt tears well in the corner of his eyes. His heart ached and begged to save her, but there was nothing he could do. His trembling increased.

"Natsuki…" he whispered in the air, not minding that his anxiety was once evident in his voice again.

"You can see it, can't you?" she whispered back.

Neji then realized that Natsuki's powers were working on him. Even though it wasn't physically obvious, the warmth of their environment changed gradually. The feeling of the grass was slowly disappearing. The wind stopped bit by bit. And as soon as he noticed it, colors faded around them and he saw himself _inside_ the cage Natsuki asked him to imagine. She was no longer beside him. Instead, she was already in the cage beside his. He was inside his imagination. This was beyond impossibility. But nothing was impossible if Natsuki had the powers that were needed for this to be reality.

So there he was, sure of what may come next. Her eyes were on to the tiniest lock he'd ever seen and he could hear the droplets of blood from her wings. He knew he wanted to shout, but a voice took over. It was her voice.

"Do you want to ask something, Neji-san?" the peach-haired girl across him uttered, loud enough for him to hear.

What did she mean? What was something to ask for? He wasn't confused. He was only _scared_. But his eyes blinked in question, asking her quietly of what she meant. But then, something hit him. He never intended it, but it was inevitable, because in fact, he did _have_ a question to ask her.

"Why…" he stated as he started to grip the metal bars of his cage, hoping he could reach her. "…is your cage bigger than mine?"

And she smiled, still not facing him. "You're right. It _is_ bigger than yours. But it's not bigger…" There, she looked at him while he blinked again. "…rather, yours is smaller."

"Eh?" Neji tilted his head a little, as if he was going to shoot his head through the gap between the metal bars. "What do you mean?"

"It's similar to the locks on our cages…" she pointed at what was in front of her, which was the small padlock with even a smaller key hole. "…see?"

Neji looked at his. It was bigger than hers this time. As a matter of fact, the key hole of his padlock was so big; he could fit two heads in it. The moment he saw the size of the hole, he knew he could just assemble the gears inside of it so he could free himself and eventually free his bleeding angel. He realized that he could escape now. And he was about to, when he asked himself of why Natsuki's lock _was_ different and smaller than his. It was as if his escape was just _too_ easy compared to her.

"You're right again, Neji-san." She answered his thoughts. He never knew she could read minds until now. "You can unlock yourself easier. But I can't. I can never unlock myself, unlike you."

"But why?" Neji exclaimed. "Why is it that your cage is bigger than mine, but my padlock is easier to open than yours?"

"Because that's the difference between me and ordinary human beings." She answered, retaining her smile. She was still looking at her tiny lock.

Neji only blinked. "Difference?"

"Neji-san, you know clearly that I'm different from ordinary people. Just as I am different from you, this cage and lock signifies it." Natsuki looked up, emphasizing the size of her cage.

Suddenly, the Hyuuga prodigy felt gears turning slowly into his head. And the peach-haired angel knew this well.

"My cage signifies my powers, my capabilities. Just as how big it is, my powers are as wide as the universe. It's the reason why people from different countries have been hunting for me, even though they won't even know that the person they're looking for _is_ me."

They both recalled the traumatic experience she had with her teammates. It was also the day when Neji learned of her existence.

She looked to him, with a lonely smile. "If you look at it, in its very obvious state, your cage is smaller because you're human. You're normal…" she then looked down on a feather on her hands Neji never noticed until now. "…unlike me, who has all the powers in this gigantic universe."

"I still don't get it." Neji shook his head. "If you said your curse is worse than mine, why do I think that it's unfair for you to have a free space in your cage while I can't even make a Kaiten in mine?"

"It's because of the lock, Neji-san." she looked back to her cage's padlock.

The Byakugan user blinked. But even though confusion flashed into his face, his mind's gears were slowly shifting into place. "The lock?" He looked at his.

"Your lock evidently is easier to open than mine. In fact, you can even open it right now. Because Neji-san…"—she closed her eyes and sighed—"…our locks signify our curses."

And there, a gear in his head clicked. His eyes widened slightly as he was slowly figuring out where this was going. Natsuki noticed this and smiled in a somewhat relieved way.

"N… Natsuki…" he tightened his grip on the metal bars of his cage, his hands trembling with fear slowly coming out. "Are you saying that—"

"That your curse is easier to be released from? That your curse is simple compared to mine? That your curse is easily escapable? That your curse is like child's play?" She looked at him with an expression mixed with anger and sadness. Neji almost flinched at her glare. But the glare wasn't filled with fury, rather, it was filled with the same anxiety he had. It was as if she was to cry from anger.

"Natsuki…" Neji slightly backed his head away. He could clearly see tears in the corners of her eyes.

She sighed and closed her eyes, calming herself. She actually wanted Neji to figure this out himself. That was the reason why she used a bit of her powers to make him visualize through cages and locks. After all, she knew that being in a cage would give an impact to Neji, considering that he uses it whenever he talks about his curse. But it seems that she had to let him know straight. She could tell from reading his mind that he was slowly deciphering all of it, but a part of him—that part of him that was completely opposite of everything he was—kept making him doubt of his answer, or rather, guess.

She opened her eyes slowly and looked at her padlock—that tiny and diminutive padlock. It felt too painful to tell him everything. But knowing the day _it_ would come true, it was inevitable. She couldn't back down now.

She sighed once more before resuming. "Your curse _is_ easy, Neji-san. Believe it or not, you can still escape it."

"But… I… No. No, Natsuki. Why would _my_ curse be as easy as you tell me? I can't take this"—he pointed at the mark at his forehead—"away from my destiny. And there's no assurance that I'll live once I have to die for a Main Branch member's existence!" he leaned forward again, clutching tighter to the metal bars. "Now tell me, Natsuki. Tell me how worse this curse of yours is… Please?"

At that moment, Natsuki could hear desperation from Neji's voice. And from that moment, she thought he'd change the topic again and emphasize that his curse was the worst thing in the world—as if it was worse compared to _hers_. But she was wrong. She was glad, but still a bit sad, knowing of what was bound to happen next.

For minutes, Neji looked scared and desperate. But a few seconds later, he blinked as he saw the beautiful smile return to her face. Relief filled him, finally. He sighed as he calmed himself as well. Then silence enveloped around them—and it was excruciating for Natsuki, if Neji just knew.

"Neji-san…" she whispered. Neji snapped slightly, realizing that he was _too_ relieved from her smile a moment ago.

"Natsuki." He answered, as if he wanted her to know he was still there. He truly was, he told himself, and he'll always be there for her.

"The reason why I keep on reassuring you about your curse, rather than mine, is because what I tell you is true: your curse _is_ easily escapable. No, not escapable"—she shook her head lightly, disagreeing her own words—"but rather, it's almost impossible to happen."

Neji blinked as he tried to suppress his arising anger once more. He was naturally like that, Natsuki knew. He was a man of pride and ego, especially when it comes to his curse. So much anger would erupt from him if ever people would mock the "exaggeration" he'd give to his curse. Natsuki knew this well, but she couldn't continue on what she had to tell him without hurting his huge ego. Still, she's grateful that he suppressed it for her sake, and she smiled once more, but refused to look and cross his eyes.

"You see, if you replace someone and that someone is in the Main Branch,"—she finally looked at him with that gentle smile he missed—"wouldn't you think he's capable of defending himself, almost at the point that he wouldn't die because of it?"

And there, Neji's eyes widened in realization. Her statement had hit him—_deep_.

"And then, you wouldn't be able to replace him—whoever he is; you wouldn't die now, would you?" she finished.

Somehow, the Hyuuga prodigy felt his hands' grip loosen. They slowly slid downward and landed at his lap, as if they felt sluggish and tired. His eyes were as wide that they looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. His whole body stiffened, only for the reason of finally realizing Natsuki's _sensible_ point of view towards his "cursed" curse.

That's right, he thought. Why would Main Branch members need a _replacement_ when they were strong enough to fight for themselves? Isn't that the reason why they were _in_ the Main Branch to begin with, because they were _strong_?

He bowed his head, as if it was hanging from shame. He chuckled lightly behind the shadows of his face. My, how idiotic he had been all his life. And this girl in front of him just made him realize that now, how foolish that was for a genius like him. He felt his own hand on his forehead, rubbing it exactly where his curse was. He _was_ stupid, she was right.

He chuckled once more. "I've wasted 18 years of my life for something stupid. Heh, I never thought I'd say this, but I guess I was wrong. I'm much more stupid than you are." He then looked up to see her looking at him with a beam. "And because of that, I'm sorry." He smiled back at her.

She simply smiled at him, glad that he was free from his lifelong doubts. But she reminded herself once again—for a thousand times now—that her next statements might be a venomous stab against Neji's heart. She knew her own painful poison was already sinking into her from thinking about it. And she could feel sadness coming up to her face, up to her eyes—because she saw Neji stop from smiling. He saw it—the _deadly_ anxiety and regret in her innocent peach eyes.

"But Natsuki… What about yours?" he returned his hands back at the metal bars.

"Tell me, Neji-san. If you unlock your cage from death, what would happen to me?" Her smile faded, it almost hurt to see Neji gasp in fear. "If you can escape _death_, can I? If your curse is the same as mine, if your death is escapable but mine isn't, if your death won't be happening anymore…"

Natsuki's heart throbbed at the sound of Neji's gears click into place one by one. The dripping sound of blood from her wings wasn't helping—it was _killing_ them both. And now, it was killing him.

"You're not…" Neji gulped. "…you're not gonna die… are you, Natsuki?"

No response. Only the deafening silence answered Neji as he saw the angel across him smiled sadly. Strangely, he could hear leaves brushing into each other. He felt wind caress his skin. He smelled the scent of the breeze. He felt grass on his knees. He heard a voice—and it killed him.

"You really are a genius, Neji-san."

Quick hands gripped tight at Natsuki's frail arms, as if he was to break them. "NATSUKI!" He shouted at her face.

She was only smiling, still refusing to look at his eyes. She let herself be shaken by him. He had the right, after all, she thought to herself.

"Natsuki, no! You can't be. When?" Neji's pure eyes begged at her face-to-face. He was literally shaking her whole body. "When, Natsuki, when?"

"I don't know." She closed her eyes. "Years, months, weeks…"—she opened them slowly, but it stayed half-closed—"…days…"

Neji gasped again. It was a wonder when he was going to lose breath any time now. "D-days?"

"Neji-san…" she held his trembling hands that had their tight grip against her small arms. He let go. Then, she finally faced him.

And she uttered the words that stopped Neji's time.

"I'm going to die… tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4

Even when the wind blew so hard, as if there was a storm coming, neither of them moved an inch. Leaves rustled loudly, the breeze was already whistling a loud whoosh and the grass was sticking at their skin. They look like dumb people from afar, considering they didn't move like statues. But the atmosphere around them was totally unbearable. It was a combination of intense emotions and feelings that held them there. Words uttered dug deep to the two of them, especially to Neji.

Natsuki's peach eyes were tearing him apart. Her petite figure, her porcelain skin, her hair that had the texture of silk—everything about her was killing him. But what were slaughtering him alive were her words of poisonous murder. He felt as if a giant sword was stabbed at his chest, a sword even bigger than Samehada, as he recalled its size. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't. He wanted to shout at her, but he couldn't. He could feel himself dying, being buried alive at the depths of what impossibility could reach. All in all, he was dying _unbearably._

"Going to… die?" he practically choked out. "T-tomorrow?"

She nodded so simply. It was as if she wasn't taking this seriously. But she did. Of all the people, she took this _very_ seriously. But why of all times, Neji asked himself, would Natsuki have to die _tomorrow_?

The pure white eyes of the Byakugan user were slowly watering. But Natsuki beat him at it. Even with her expressionless face, crystal tears came gushing out of her shaking eyes, through her porcelain cheeks, down to the green leaves beneath them. Neji swore he heard the teardrop's landing sound on the grass. Aside from that, everything was quiet. Nothing produced sound. He never knew silence could be so _deafening_ until now.

"Tomorrow is my birthday, Neji-san." she spoke with an unshaken voice, but sorrow was evident in it. "I'm turning 18." But she still didn't smile.

"But why?" he broke the meadow's tranquility with his booming tone. Tears ran down his eyes as his hands went back at her shoulders again. "Why? Why? Why?"

The peach-haired girl bowed as the Hyuuga prodigy closed his eyes shut. Everything that was happening was unexplainable, just like what he felt. No words could compare of how much shock it gave him, of how much sorrow he was feeling. Through the darkness, he felt her hands move to her face, wiping the tears away. He heard her sigh, and he heard the pain in her breath. Slowly, he began to weaken and settled his kneeling position down. He could already imagine the hole under him gradually swallowing him.

Her voice reminded him that he wasn't under the surface yet. "It's my curse, Neji-san." Her voice was like heaven and hell pushing him in between.

"But I don't understand…" Neji's hands slipped downward, from her shoulders to her elbows. He was shaking from fear and sadness. "Why?"

He felt feather-like fingers under his chin, raising his head. His watery eyes slowly opened and met her innocent ones. He felt her other hand hold his arm, her fingers caressing through his white sleeves. He felt her comfort, but it wasn't enough. He needed _more_ than comfort. He needed her—_alive_.

"If I could just do something, I'd do it. But I can't." Natsuki shook her head faintly. "If being a Maiden can make me do anything, then Fate _really_ is stupid." She laughed weakly.

"But I don't understand." Neji finally recovered. "Why tomorrow?" He can't deny the fact that pain was apparent in his voice. "Of all times, why?"

"I…"—she sniffed a little—"…I can't tell you the exact words. But all I can tell you is that, being a Maiden sucks." She still managed to smile, but it was a painful smile.

Neji have never felt this way since he learned of his fate. It was all because of this silly girl—_silly enough to proclaim that she'd die tomorrow_—who made him realize that his fate wasn't that bad after all. It wasn't even as worse as he defined it, especially now.

But as he wanted to respond, "Natsuki, I—" he was cut off by her angelic voice that was tearing him apart.

"It's the age of when a Maiden must die." Her mouth moved at an invisible rhythm.

"Eh?" Neji's head backed away a little. "A-age?"

She nodded. "It's sort of like… an age-of-coming, if I may say."—she made a weak laugh, as if she was already _dying_—"But, I call it the age-of-dying."

"Natsuki…"

Oh, it hurt him like hell. No, it was _worse_ than hell. Why the hell would she have time to make jokes when both of them are already drenched within their own tears? Why would she make this a funny issue when her life is already at stake? Why would she even try to attempt to kill him this way? Why, why, why? So many questions, so many doubts, so much confusion… He even wondered how she handled this all her life that she'd known this would happen…

The dark orange color of the sun was dominating over the blue sky, its redness reflecting on those painful peach eyes. Neji couldn't say a word. His breath was practically stolen. He ran out of words, basically. Well, what else should he tell her, that she mustn't die? That she shouldn't leave him? That she should tell the Hokage and do something about it? Or better, that everything was just a dream? No. It wasn't. It never was. Then what? What must he tell her? The silence was killing him ahead of Natsuki!

But before he could even think of something, her porcelain fingers came to his cheek, caressing it as if he was more fragile than she was. "There's no need for words, Neji-san. There's no need for anything anymore."

"But—" he held her hand to speak, if ever he did think of something to say, but he felt her head fall on his chest. He felt her calm, yet tense from the event.

"Please, Neji-san." she whispered against his clothing. "Let me cherish this day with you. Let me feel like nothing will happen tomorrow. Let me be happy… one last time." He then felt her eyes close, releasing a breath of warmth against his coldness.

With those words, he squeezed her hand one more time and let his arms surround her petite figure, pressing her against him. He closed his eyes and settled his chin above her head, never wanting to let her go. They stayed that way for the longest time he ever knew, for the last time he'll ever know.

The full moon shone from the starry sky as they walked hand in hand, the Hyuuga never complaining. Even without words, the peach-haired girl knew that he wanted to walk her home; she knew he wanted to make every second last the way she wanted as well. She smiled as they strolled in the quiet streets of Konoha, because she never knew that a moment like that—him being so close, him holding her hand tightly—would ever happen. No thoughts came over her head, only him being there beside her. For one last time, she felt as if she was the happiest girl in the world.

As they made a full stop at the façade of her home, it never actually occurred to Neji that Natsuki was an orphan. He only thought of her as an idiotic Ninja who was full of incomparable joy and a Maiden who could control the Universe with one finger. But the last thought was never an everyday idea to his mind; it was only her smiles that made everything fade away. Neji stood silently there, still clasping her hand, his wrist making contact at her bracelet that signified her identity.

"Well, this is it." Her sweet voice broke the silence.

"Aa." He nodded.

As if time slowed down, their hands disappeared from their bondage, leaving Neji's hand in despair, leaving Neji's heart in hopelessness. Natsuki took three steps forward, along with her free hand, before pausing. Her head turned ever so slightly to his direction, looking at his plain white eyes.

She had given him the image and comparison of how this turned out to be. Neji's curse was unacceptable, dying without refusal. And so was Natsuki's. But compared to the Hyuuga kid, she had no freedom at all. No matter how much time she wanted to extend, no matter how many moments and memories she still wanted to make, not even a second would be given to her wish. No jutsu could save her, no Kage could help her, and no God could even lend a hand and stretch that string of life within her. As much as she never wanted to say it, she _had_ to die. If she didn't, the world's safety would be the replacement. She didn't want that, and neither did Neji. Neither did anyone.

The moment the clock strikes at her birth date, it would all be gone—her memories, her soul, her heart, her smile, her life. Every glint of her existence would fade from everyone, from Neji. And she didn't even care if telling him of this was prohibited; all she wanted was a memory of her own she could take when God takes her life.

She smiled at him, giving him the sweetest smile she could ever provide. She never wanted him to suffer this much, because she never thought he'd be this much of an influence to her. She never thought that he would mean anything to her in any way.

"See you tomorrow," she uttered at a sweet tune. "…Neji-san."

"Aa." Neji did nothing but give her the best remembrance he could ever give—a smile. The smile would last forever, Natsuki knew. She'd carve it down to her heart and keep it beside her, from that night until the coming nights that would pass by Neji's life. The curve of his mouth said it all, he needn't to say it.

"…_Goodbye…"_

The next day, Neji met with his same teammates. Tenten had the same enthusiasm she carried everyday. Lee had the same energy he had. Gai was the same. Neji didn't think of any awful thoughts that moment. He didn't need to be furious and shout at them, saying that a dear friend has already died far from their knowledge. He simply stayed calm as he always was, just like any other normal day.

The mission was easy as it was the day before. They managed to finish it in a short amount of time, but because of distance, they arrived at their village in an orange colored sky. As they stepped into the gates of Konoha, a Jounin came to greet Gai and his team. He wasn't there to welcome them, but to bring news of a kunoichi of their age mates. He saw his mentor's reaction as Kotetsu finished his report. He also saw the shock it gave Tenten and Lee. It wasn't surprising for him anymore, since he knew of this before anyone did. But hearing it with _her_ name felt like torture all over again.

As Kotetsu spread the word to every Shinobi in Konoha, "Natsuki Mamoru has passed away."

Her burial took place the next morning, with all of their friends and teachers around her grave wearing black outfits. Neji was at the back of the crowd. He could hear the mourns and cries of Natsuki's teammates. He could feel the poison sting from him chest again. Before the burial was to end, the Byakugan user was nowhere to be found. He had walked away from the site. He had walked away from them. He had walked away from the evidence of her death. But he was walking towards the meadow, the last place he ever spent a memory with her. He stayed there for one whole day, lying on the spot they were always on, until a moving creature disturbed his sight of the same orange sky. The Hokage was calling him.

He opened the door leading to the Hokage's office. His eyes spotted that Tsunade and Shizune were still wearing their dark clothing, just like him. The Sannin sat on her usual chair while Shizune held Tonton beside her. Tsunade had serious eyes on him, yet sorrow filled her hazelnut eyes. Neji walked forward, not even wondering why he was called. But then, he noticed a paper between the blonde's closed fingers. Before she uttered a word, her arm stretched out and handed him the paper. He took it, waiting for what she was supposed to say.

"I'm aware that… you were the last person Natsuki was with last night, am I correct?" Tsunade hesitantly asked.

Neji nodded.

"I see." She closed her eyes. She sighed before she opened them again. "Do you know the reason of her death?"

Neji nodded again.

She sighed once more. The Hyuuga prodigy could tell she was having difficulty of saying what she wanted to say. "Well, you see… That paper you're holding,"—she pointed at the paper she handed him—"was found beside her body this morning. In fact, she was still holding that when we found her. I thought of giving it to you, since you two were close."

"Did you see what's inside?" Neji asked. The first thing he ever uttered that day, he thought.

The Hokage shook her head. "Nope. I simply knew the moment I saw it that it would be a letter addressed to you." Then a sad smile came across her face and dismissed him.

Neji blinked, wondering of how the hell the Hokage knew of something like that. He raised his hand that held the letter that was supposed to be addressed to him. He looked at it with curious eyes, asking himself what words this piece of paper held, of what words _that _girl needed to tell him, of what words_ his_ girl even forgot to tell him.

He walked home with a blank expression and sealed his room's door shut. His eyes scanned his dark bedroom, only the moonlight illuminating the place. He leaned on his door and slowly, as if his knees suddenly weakened, slid down to the ground into a sitting position with his leg at his chest's level and the other on the flat floor. His white eyes rolled upward, sighting the plain ceiling above him. He closed them, thinking if he should open the paper or not. Deafening silent seconds that felt like forever passed. He then sighed and opened his eyes, finally facing the letter Natsuki left to him.

As he opened it, he saw the hint of dried tears on the paper and one side torn. She might've been in a hurry to tear this from a page of a blank book. While he read the contents, whether if they were for him or not, he could see every bit of detail of how she wrote every letter. They were shaking, trembling in some manner. Her penmanship was sort of in a hurry, but the delicacy of it was still there. The lower corners were a bit crumpled, might've been from her hands. But most of all, the one detail of the paper he saw that managed to break his heart in pieces was the book of where she tore it from. No wonder Tsunade knew it was for him…

She tore it not from a book, but from a drawing pad—_her_ drawing pad. And what's more is that, what figure dwelled on the page was a person that looked exactly like him with a face of a smiling boy that had dark hair and white eyes. He was wearing his old Genin clothes and had his hitai-ate on his forehead. And from below, short words had him in tears.

He stared at the paper for hours, not even knowing what to react. Tear drops fell on the dried paper, some even on the spots where there were original tears that came from _her_. His fingers that were trembling from the start could now faintly feel the texture of the object. And just as midnight was about to strike, he put the letter down beside and his other hand went to his forehead in a fist form. Then, a smile formed on his face, and all he could think of, was how idiotic and simple-minded that girl really was. He had to chuckle.

And as he heard the small chime of the clock, he leaned his head back to the wall, his eyes closed and his mouth muttering of the same thing she wrote on the paper he held…

"_Thank you for everything, Neji-san…"_

_..._

_..._

_...  
><em>

And after so many years, he never thought that he'd come in the library looking at the same book everyday. Even if he knew that it was inevitable, even if he knew that it could never be changed, it still happened. Too bad, a lot has happened after those years. Too bad, he never got to tell her something. Too bad…

But he swore everyday, he could hear her laughter, telling him that there's no need for regret. He could feel her warmth. He could see her smile.

He then left the library and walked through the streets of his—_their—_hometown. He followed the same footsteps he took years before. He followed the path he never took for a long time. He stopped at a place were stones and graves stood. He walked with eyes scanning the area. This was only a rare occasion for him to go there. But since he had a lot of time, why not drop by?

He paused and kneeled before a gravestone. There were flowers beneath it—roses, lilies, and many more. He suspected _her_ teammates came and gave daily visits. But to all flowers, he gave something that was rare. He had a hard time looking for that kind of flower, since it was rare around the village. His hand placed it on the top of the stone, just above her engraved name. He smiled at the sight. Now, it looked lovelier, now that he gave her his gift—her favorite flower, the Iris.

He smiled the same smile he gave her that night—her last night, _their_ last night.

"Happy Birthday, Natsuki."


End file.
